Is Del Piero over-protected or under-respected?

Not for a minute do I believe that it will ever change. It is an integral part of the game now. Maybe I am looking at life thru rose colored glasses but it just seems that it wasn't so common in the past. I never played at a half decent level but growing up we were told to only go down when we were actually felled. It is just a personal bug bear of mine, maybe I am just wanting these players to be "perfect", to play in right spirit. I guess it has gone the way of TAB Cola and footy cards with a stick of gum :(

BP2 you've put things very well there I think. Guys who've played at Del Piero's level for so long and are that good have another level of 'professionalism' for want of a better word. That means knowing where to put your body to draw a foul in a situation where otherwise you could be running up a cul de sac. Street smart on another level basically. We can all argue about the rights and wrongs about diving or exaggerating or walking in cricket as you say but it's been a part of nearly every sport for years now and it's not going to change.

They used to have the judging of intent written into the law books but removed it to give the referees an objective view of play. However the referee is allowed to determine if the force used warrants a caution, send off or direct free kick. Under the current law, Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct: A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following seven offences in a manner considered to be careless, reckless or using excessive force. Essentially the referees are told to officiate in black and white and only to make judgement on the force used in a collision. This isn't known by many but simply attempting to trip someone is an offence. In Del Piero's case he may go down a little easily but it is generally following illegal contact made by a defender and as a result he is entitled to a free kick. The A-League defenders have to get smarter if they want to close ADP down. Simply diving in is going to either make them look stupid or give away a dumb free kick.

I agree that the way he falls sometimes doesn't match the contact, but disagree that the ref would blow for a free kick that wasn't there. All twelve of his fouls he was between the ball and the offender, and the offender went through the man to get the ball. Even in the times they won it, they still fouled ADP beforehand.

Being an MVFC supporter and Napoli supporter I'm definately no fan of either Sydney FC or Juventus but I do admire Del Piero and I feel that this whole "Del Piero is a diver" criticism is based on the 2006 WC and the Grosso/Neill incident. There are some a$$holes out there who are being bigoted with their stereotype that all Italians are divers and unfortunetly mud sticks. At the end of the day most are sore losers and still cannot get over the 2006 WC loss that we suffered against Italy (I got over it after the tournament) and keep harping on about it. Its not going to end anytime soon however as without being stereotypical myself, this is similar to the poms still not getting over the 'hand of god' incident in the 1986 WC, so it seems to be an anglo-saxon trait really!!

my favourite is when some of the pretty boys in the Euro Leagues go down and grab their faces when the contact was with their legs. the more talented ones have a hand on their ankle and the other across the face. that's only topped by the ones who go to pull their hair in agony but can't touch it because of the amount of product in it. i love it! great entertainment.

"he would easily be playing regularly in the top flight." that's confirmed by the fact that a little over a year ago he captained Juventus to the perfect season in the Serie A, playing 23 games in the season. he wasn't exactly banging in the goals but was still good enough to appear regularly. No one at Juve scored more than 10 goals that season anyways.

How does a referee judge too much contact when boots are colliding? I'm not saying this is you, but I think the overreaction is from fans - some football and some not - that think no one can go down at all and if they do its soft and 'diving'. I've never been an expert but for hardcore fans of other sports, which i too have enjoyed, who think a fall or being tripped is a dive is ridiculous. Its not our job to make them like soccer if that is their attitude. Every sport has its ways of getting penalties. Del Piero and certain others know how to read the game better than most others on the pitch. They can shield the ball and their preference is to keep the ball to create an opportunity for another player, a lot of defenders aren't skilled enough to to know how to tackle the player, (Del Piero) legally, so they create the illegal action. Going through a player to get the ball will generally draw a foul. If they did not tackle him he would create a goal scoring opportunity. There was a short video clip i saw on sbs discussing this yesterday. I'd have to agree with foster saying coaches would be telling players to shut down Del Piero however they can which is preferable to him setting up chances for others to score. Del Piero wasn't called a diver in Italy in his 20 year career and if the majority of A-League defenders are dumb enough to not know how to tackle properly its their problem for givng away a foul. I generally laugh when a defender cries to the ref when he blows the whistle as if the other player has gone down soft. Perhaps they should improve their own game first rather than blame the player with the ball. But that would be taking responsibility for their own actions and skill level.

Watch the contact ADP receives then watch the way he falls down it doesn't match the contact can't blame the ref but there were times on saturday night when the ball would be won in a hard challenge but still fair manner and the ref would blow for a free kick that wasn't there.

"Is Del Piero over-protected or under-respected?" I believe he is neither. I watch a fair bit of EPL these days and although ADP is without the blistering pace & slick movement of Suarez and the more larger and powerful frame like Van Persie, he would easily be playing regularly in the top flight. Maybe not 38+ games a season due to his age and fitness, but more than enough to suffice. He has an awareness and vision most players in the A-League are still trying to master. Broich is another player who possesses these great traits and you'll notice he too is a targeted man. I have thought the defending has improved this season but there is still a long way to go. Less goals have been scored compared to this time last season and given the impact ADP had last season, opposing teams know all too well that shutting him down is vital as he is a game changer. The standard of refereeing isn't much better either, so it could be forgiven that they favour him due to lack of experience.

+1

I saw an interview with the Victory captain where he suggested ADP went down a bit easily. I had not seen the game, but watched "highlights" of ADP being infringed for his free kicks and my decision would have been a free kick to him on every occasion. The A league is over physical at times and those challenges were clumsy and ill thought.

There is no doubt that according to the letter of the law that most if not all these fouls were fair calls. However, I dont know about the rest of you but i dont remember what day the fact that there "was contact" become justification for hitting the deck so easily? Again, according to the law ADP is doing what everyone is doing, but he is much better at it. However is it any wonder why fans of other sports dismiss our sport so regularly when these antics are so prevalent? This sort of "acting" is now creeping into the other codes as well, so they best get a handle on it before it becomes too common. I am starting to get a bit sick of the overreacting to "contact" all around the world, but unfortunately that is the way that it is today. I dont know about the rest of you, but if i am made "contact" with and then drop when i dont have to, whilst playing to the letter of the law, is it ethically right? It is much like the debate of walking in cricket, Stuart Broad was pilloried for not walking in the last Ashes series by the Australian media, yet not walking has been an Australian mainstay for years. Again, it is right according to the letter of the law but maybe not so sportsmanlike. Maybe the referee should be able to judge if there was an appropriate level of contact for someone to go down? But before i get howled down, the referees already have to provide a level of subjectivity on many other matters in the course of games (ie: handballs, whether or not a defender who commits a foul is the last man etc). Overall, ADP is taking our defenders to school - but are there better lessons he could be teaching?

@Andrew ADP has been "schooling" defenders in the SerieA for the past 20 years. Maybe, Serie A defenders also shouldn't be picked for the Italian National Team? Cesare Prandelli (I hope you know who he is?) recently said he'd be willing to pick ADP for the WC2014, if his form is good. So, defenders from all over the world may have to cope with this "39 year old".

Well put, this issue just shines the light on how poorly the butcher defender hack and lunge style is the only tactic the A league defenders have. This is exactly why the a league players should not be picked for national squad as it would be more embarrassing. Imagine facing the current top play makers in the world and not a 39 year old

Disclaimer - I am a Sydney FC fan, but the simple fact is that the majority of ADPs fouls he has been received have been fair due to a combination of excellent skill, body positioning and clumsy defenders who expect to be able to defend ADP in the same manner as if they are plaing Matt thompson or Ali Abbas. I also think coaches should be instructing players better on how to play him but as yet no one has really had success. Why? Primarily because of his excellent use of body position that allows him to beat players with skill. Last wek the criticism was " no ADP no Sydney". This week apparently he is a bit of a diver. Sounds like classic Aussie tall poppy syndrome.